Magazine-camera.



No. 635,497. Patented Oct. 24, |899. T. E. MEADOWCRUFT. MAGAZINE CAMERA.

(Application filed July 12, 1899.) (No Muriel.)

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UNITED Strarns @maar @risica THOMAS ERNEST MEADGW'OROFT, OE LONDON,ENGLAND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 635,497, dated October24, 1899.

Application filed July 12, 1899. Serial No. 723,523. (No model.)

T @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS ERNnsT MEAD- OWCROFT, dealer in photographicapparatus, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at 233Lavender Hill, London,England, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Photographic Cameras, (for which I have applied for apatent in England on the th day of December, A. D. 1898, No.

26,140, and in Germany on the 15th day of April, A. D. 1899;) and I dohereby7 declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appert-ains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in that kind of photographiccamera in which a number of sensitized plates or films are so stored ina magazine that they can be exposed one after the other without removingthem from the camera, thus avoiding the necessity of employing a darkroom until the whole of such plates or films have been exposed; and theobject of this invention is to provide suitable and convenient meanswhereby such a camera may be focused for each successive picture to betaken.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 illustrates in longitudinalvertical section a camera constructed in accordance with my invention,the parts being shown in their normal position, except that the f rontpart et the camera is partly drawn out, as in the focusing operation.Fig. 2 is a similar section of the rear part of the camera in thefocusing position, and Fig. 3 is a similar section of the same part ofthe camera in the position for taking the picture.

Similar letters relate to like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

The front part of the camera is divided into two compartments a and l),connected by a bellows c or other device capable of being expanded orcontracted at will by means of racks d and pinions operated, forexample, by a milled head e on the exterior of the camera in a mannerwell understood in connection with such apparatus. Vlhe'compartments aand l can be maintained parallel to one another by one or more suitableguide-plates f or by rods, bars, or the like.

Suitable finders-as 7L, for example, Fig. 1-- shutter, stops, and otherparts incidental to cameras of this class are provided; but I have notconsidered it necessary to illustrate these in the drawings.

The front t', Fig. 1, of the camera is hinged to `the camera-body in theusual manner.

,j is the focusing-screen, hinged to one side of a yielding spring-framelt, which is so mounted in the rear part l) of the camera-body that whenin the focusing position the focusing-screen is held in the plane whichwill afterward be occupied by the sensitized plate or film in themagazine while the picture is being taken.

B is a stud or projection on the inside of the camera-body taking into aslot or guideway C in the side of the yielding frame 7o and by which thesaid frame is guided and kept in place.

Z are springs acting to force the frame 7c toward the rear of thecamera.

The magazine containing the sensitized plates or films may be of anyconvenient known form; but l prefer that in which the plates or filmsare transferred by hand from back to front of the magazine, or viceversa, by the aid of a flexible bag or hood--such, for example, as isshown in the drawings-Z being' the magazine containing the plates orfilms m and iitted into the rearmost part n of the camera. The plates mare preferably mounted in the usual holders and are kept pressed forwardin place by the springs 0.

p is a Z-shaped bar by which the hindermost of the plates may be raisedto such a height above the others thatit may be grasped by the lingersof the operator acting through the light-tight flexible bag q andtransferred to the front position in amanner well understood and towhich I make no general claim.

The part n of the camera, which contains the magazine t', is hinged at oto the bach part of the camera-body and is closed lighttight on thatside by a hinged door or shutter s, which can be opened or closed fromthe exterior of the camera by means of a lever or other suitable device.For example, lsometimes provide a pin t, projecting from one side of thehinged door or shutter s, which pin engages with a slotted crank-arm u,which IOC) may be connected by a link e to a second crank arm ni, theaxis a; of which passes through the side of the camera, as shown, and isactuated by a lever or other suitable device y, Fig 3, convenientlysituated on the exterior of the camera.

During the focusing operation the rearmost part n of the camera,containing the magazine Z, is turned on its hinge r out of the way ofthe focusing-screen j, as shown in Fig. 2; but when it is desired totake the picture the said part n and magazine Z are closed against theback end of the camera-body, containing the yielding frame 7c of thefocusingscreen j, which frame 7c is thereby forced inward against theresistance of the springs until the foremost of the sensitized plates m,which is, however, covered by the hinged door or shutter s of themagazine Z, is in the focusing-plane-that is to say, in the positionshown in Fig. l. The hinged door or shutter s may now be opened by meansof the lever y or other device on the exterior of the camera, the pin 'Zpassing into and traversing a segmental slot Ain the side of theyielding frame Ze of the focusing-screen j and in opening the said dooror shutters comes into contact with the hinged focusing-screen j, andnot only causes the said screen to open, but also serves to mask theglass surface thereof while in the open position, as seen clearly inFig. 3. After the picture is taken the hinged door or shutter s of themagazine Z is closed by means of the lever y or other device, and thefocusing-screenj is returned into its normal position by means of aspring or otherwise. rIihe rearmost part n of the camera and themagazine Z may now be turned back on the hinge r out of the way, as inFig. 9, when the yielding frame Zt will be forced outward by means ofthe springs .a into the focusing-plane, and the cycle of operations canthen be repeated.

claiml. In photographic cameras, the combination with the camera-box, ofa hinged focusing-screen, a magazine hinged to said cameraboX, and meanswhereby1 the movement of the magazine away from and toward the cameraboxwill automaticallybring said screen into and out of focusing position,substantially as described.

2. In photographic cameras the combination of the yielding frame Ze',hinged focusingscreen j, magazine Z, hinged door or shutter s, andactuating devices Z, a, fu, fw, and y with the plate-changing devices p,q, substantially as described.

In photographic cameras the combination of the yielding frame Zt',hinged focusingscreen j, magazine Z, hinged door or shutter s, andactuating devices Z, u, IU, w, Qc and y with the bellows or otherfocusing devices c and plate-changing devices p, q, substantially asdescribed.

e. The new or improved photographic camera which consists of a frontpart divided into two but flexibly connected, a yielding frame carryinga removable foeusing-screen,a magazine with hinged door or shutter,means for changing the position of the plates or films, and devices forfocusing, removing focusingscreen, and exposing the sensitized plate orfilm, combined, arranged, and operating substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twowitnesses.

THOMAS ERNEST ilIEADOWClOF'l.

iVitnesses:

JOHN ROBERT CLAYTON CHANCE. STEPHEN EDWARD GUNYON.

